DUMFRIES, Va. - Two pit bulls were found dead separately inside a duffel bag and a plastic storage container over the weekend, Prince William County police said.

According to police, animal control officers responded to Cherry Hill Road nearby the railroad tracks in Dumfries last Sunday at around 3:52 p.m. after receiving a call from a person walking along a path who discovered a male American pit bull terrier dead inside a bag.

During their investigation, the officers also located a plastic storage container nearby with a deceased female pit bull terrier inside.

Photos of one of the deceased pit bull were posted onto Facebook. Woodbridge resident Elijah Deanda said it popped up on his Facebook feed Sunday.

“When I saw it, I was pretty appalled by it, so I shared it because I love animals and I found it appalling that a dog could be disposed of in that manner no matter what happened to it,” Deanda said. “A head is sticking out of the duffel bag with its rear end inside of the bag.”

More than 100 people have shared the alarming image on Facebook showing the deceased dog lying on a dirt path lining the railroad tracks.

The pit bulls were taken for a necropsy and both were estimated to be around 3 years old. However, the necropsy could not determine the cause of death and further analysis is pending.

Police said animal control officers are investigating this as a possible animal cruelty case.

“The circumstances of finding them along a dirt path next to a railroad track and the environment that they were in is why we are possibly opening up the cruelty investigation,” said Prince William County Police Officer Nathan Probus.